What Happened to Goodbye

Sarah Dessen

May 2011 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

A New York Times bestseller
 
A new day. A new place. A new life.
 
In the past few years, Mclean has pretended to be so many different people that she hardly remembers who she really is anymore.
 
The adorable guy next door might be able to help her figure it out.
 
But is she ready for it?
 
“A cut above” —People
 
Also by Sarah Dessen:
Along for the Ride
Dreamland
Just Listen
Keeping the Moon
Lock and Key
The Moon and More
Someone Like You
That Summer
This Lullaby
The Truth About Forever

Ratings and reviews

Divorce is never easy. When the divorce centers around a high-profile affair, it's even worse. McLean lives with her father, traveling from town to town as he fixes restaurants for his consulting firm. Each new town is a chance to remake herself and figure out who she wants to be. And another chance to avoid her mother. But when she ends up in Lakeview, everything starts to change. McLean starts to wonder if she even knows who she is anymore. What Happened to Goodbye takes you through a teen’s perspective of divorce. It shows the struggles kids go through trying to balance between two homes and the resentment that can grow for one or the other parent. It also delves into the misconceptions that can arise when people fail to communicate or fail to listen to one another. McLean will go through a range of emotions as she tries to come to terms with her parents’ divorce. At first, the constant moves seem perfect. It’s like a new adventure every time she starts a new school where she can play whatever role she chooses. But McLean slowly loses her identity. Not only does she not have a place to call home, but the long-known routines are gone as well. As she thinks back to the times when her family was whole, she starts to realize how much she misses it all. You can only hide from the truth for so long. This an even-paced book, taking the reader through McLean’s growing understanding of her new family dynamic. There isn’t a lot of tension and the plot is straight forward. If you’re looking for a simple young adult read, then this is your book. I also think it would be a great book to offer children whose parents are divorced. And yes, it is age appropriate for young teens.

Sarah Dessen is by far my favorite author. Her books are relatable. They were when I was 11, and now that I'm 16 I still find myself curling up with one of her novels. This is her tenth book, and to me, it's clear she hasn't lost her touch. The characters are so unique and relatable that I find myself thinking of my own friends' faces while I read. This story seemed incomplete at first. But I read it a second time and I picked up on the missing pieces. I think this book gets less attention because a lot of the writing goes deeper than Dessen's previous books. Not everything is at the surface; and when you figure the little things out Mclean's journey becomes that much more special. I highly recommend this book, as well as others by Sarah Dessen.

I would not recommend this book to anyone under the age of 8th grade. There is some inappropriate language, drinking, and smoking. The main character does all of the above and changes her name multiple times. She is young and falls in love. I do not know if there are any questionable scenes with her and her lover because I did not feel the need or want to finish the book after things that happened earlier in the reading. I will say that it is a well written book, but not for younger age groups.

About the author

Sarah Dessen is the author of thirteen novels, which include the New York Times bestsellers The Moon and More, What Happened to Goodbye, Along for the Ride, Lock and Key, Just Listen, The Truth About Forever, and This Lullaby. Her first two books, That Summer and Someone Like You, were made into the movie How to Deal. 
 
Dessen’s books are frequently chosen for the Teens’ Top Ten list and the list of Best Fiction for Young Adults. They have been translated into twenty-five languages. Sarah Dessen is the recipient of the 2017 Margaret A. Edwards Award from the Young Adult division of the American Library Association.
 
Sarah Dessen graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with highest honors in creative writing. She lives in Chapel Hill with her husband, Jay, and their daughter, Sasha Clementine.
 
Visit Sarah at sarahdessen.com.